


Pesky Spirits

by DoctorQui



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Fluff, M/M, Noodle Dragons, This is really sappy and gay but hey so are Jesse and Hanzo, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 07:53:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12228711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorQui/pseuds/DoctorQui
Summary: 5 times the dragons interfered in Hanzo and Jesse's relationship, and one time they didn't. Birthday present for the lovely Lucy <3





	Pesky Spirits

**Author's Note:**

  * For [acrxphxbia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/acrxphxbia/gifts).



The first time Jesse met the dragons, he was sure he was going to die.

 

They had infiltrated a Vishkar base in Cambodia. It was hot and humid, the air sticking to their backs like flies on honey. The base had no air conditioning, yet its halls were eerily sterile and clean, inhabited only by the sound of a stray fan off in the distance. The fact that it was bizarre for a multinational tech corporation to use such old machines went unsaid.

 

Jesse was careful, on guard, as he was always taught to be. Their group split, Angela and Genji going one way while Reinhardt and D.Va took another. Jesse volunteered to scout on his lonesome--he was still readjusting to the idea of working as a _team,_ five parts of a whole. It would take time, he knew that, yet the cold feeling that had curled up in his gut seemed determined to stay.

 

Maybe he should have listened to it.

 

It wasn’t long before trouble found him (or maybe he found trouble, Jesse was never sure). Before he knew it he was surrounded by Vishkar agents, omnic and human alike, photon projectors and rifles aimed squarely at him. Despite the wall of pain staring him in the face, Jesse couldn’t help but laugh. It just figured things would happen this way, figured that right when he was sure about the road to redemption and how he was going to help others, it’d all come crashing down on him. Figured that Gabe wouldn’t even be here to see it end, that he likely wouldn’t care at all even if he were around.

 

He watched the agents exchange looks as he laughed, silently debating with each other on whether or not to let the man have his last few moments in peace. Reflecting back on it later, maybe those precious few seconds were what saved him.

 

It was certainly an easier explanation than what had actually happened. Made miles more sense than the rumble of angry Japanese, the surge of energy that crackled through the air and had Jesse’s heart standing stark still for the barest of moments. Was more likely than the massive spires of blue that spun into life around him, their roars a deafening thunder clap in his ears and the misty trail they left behind tickling his face like rain on a quiet morning.

 

Jesse would later come to know all of these things very well, be able to explain them in his sleep. He would know the two massive beasts as Ame and Raikou, guardian spirits chained to the Shimada clan. He would recognize the spatters of blood and oil drenching concrete halls and linoleum floors in an instant. He would hear that voice, that low accented rumble in his thoughts, in his dreams.

 

He would come to know Hanzo Shimada as more than the stranger who saved his life by happenstance, more than a brother searching for redemption. He would know him as a teammate, a friend, a lover, and the master of two very powerful, very mischievous spirits.

\---

Early morning sunlight filtered through Jesse’s open window, casting a warm glow on the peacefully sleeping form of the man next to him. Hanzo was heartrendingly gorgeous like this, long hair tousled from sleep and arms hooked firmly around him. Jesse could hardly believe how they got to this point, how blessed he was to have this man in his life. He’d been beautiful in the moonlight, all sharp angles and high cheekbones, glinting silver from his eyes to his piercings to the streaks in his hair. But the sun brought something different out of him, something much softer--he glowed with the rising sun, bright and magnificent.

 

He _literally_ glowed.

 

Jesse watched with eyes wide in fascination as the swirling lines on Hanzo’s arm came to life in a vivid blue, much like they did in battle. Instead of two ferocious, snarling beasts appearing out of the air, however, two forms rose from his flesh, ethereal and wispy. They were small, about the length of a laptop computer, long and scaly. They peered up at him with unblinking gold eyes. If Jesse didn’t know better, he’d say they were smirking at him.

 

As if on cue, Hanzo began to rouse. He rolled over with a yawn, stretching his left arm up into the air and taking the little spirits with him. His eyes fluttered open and immediately landed on Jesse, shifting from hazy to fond in a matter of seconds.

 

“Good morning, cowman,” Hanzo mumbled, pressing up against him to lay a chaste kiss on his lips. “Did you sleep well?”

 

Jesse swallowed thickly. His eyes flicked up to the spirits clinging to his lover and back down. “Y-Yeah darlin’. Sure thing. But uh...you got um. You got somethin’--two somethins’ on your arm there.”

 

Hanzo frowned and looked over. Sure enough, the spirits were there. They gave a yip and crawled down to loop around Hanzo’s neck, prompting another soft smile. “There’s no cause for alarm, Jesse. You’ve seen my dragons before, haven’t you?”

 

 _“Those_ are Ame and Raikou?” Jesse’s jaw dropped. He’d only ever seen the dragons in their viscous, humongous forms. He didn’t even know they could appear like this.

 

“You remembered their names?” Hanzo asked, ignoring Jesse’s complete shock.

 

Jesse felt his cheeks heat up. “Well, yeah. I told you last night, you’re important to me, Han. Had you and everythin’ about you on my mind for the past forever. S’why I’m so glad we did all this, talked everythin’ out n’ all. I like you a whole lot, y’know.”

 

This time it was Hanzo’s turn to blush, his face glowing a bright red in contrast to the blue of his tattoo. “I...yes. I agree.” The dragons around his neck snickered and he glared down at them.

 

“Looks like your lil’ fellas find you as cute as I do.” Jesse nudged Hanzo with his elbow, grinning like a fool.

 

Hanzo shifted his glare forward. “Shut up.”

 

“You’re gonna have to make me, sugar.”

 

It was hard to pin Jesse down entirely with Ame and Raikou snaking between them, tiny feet tickling as they danced along skin, but Hanzo managed it and sealed the action with a saccharine kiss.

 

“I plan to.”

\---

Jesse wasn’t a _great_ cook by any means, but he did try his best. He’d learned how to cook in order to survive, though it wasn’t exactly easy to make anything gourmet out of baked beans and scraps of bread. As the years went on and he had more options, though, Jesse had sought out more recipes and ways to expand his knowledge on the subject. Still, his best dishes remained the ones his parents taught him when he was young, long before Blackwatch and even Deadlock.

 

Which was why Jesse was currently busying himself away in the kitchen, whipping up a batch of fry bread. He’d been sick the past week, nursed back by Hanzo’s carefully crafted soup (and Angela’s medicine), and wanted to make a little something as a thank you. The food was just about ready by now, so he set the steaming platter on the counter so it could cool off while he got some toppings.

 

When he turned back to the plate, sugar and honey in hand, he froze. There was a gap in the center, at least two pieces gone, accompanied by some tiny yet familiar footprints. Jesse sighed and rounded the corner: just as he expected, Ame and Raikou were curled up in the corner, munching on his food. It would be cute if Jesse hadn’t spent the past hour hard at work in the kitchen or even if he didn’t know that the spirits had absolutely no need to eat. As it was, Jesse felt no shame in picking the scraggly lizards up by the feathery scruff of their necks and glaring down at them.

 

“Alright you lil’ demons you, give it up. That there is for your _master,_ not you. You get the leftovers if he gives the say-so.” Jesse gave them a shake. Ame looked up at him in response and swished their tail, shocking Jesse’s arm with the force of an angry eel. He dropped both them and Raikou immediately with a cuss and they scampered off, stolen goods in tow.

 

Jesse took off after them like a bat out of hell, spurs jangling loudly as he sprinted to catch up. He chased them all the way through the kitchen and recreational areas of the base to their quarters, and eventually to his and Hanzo’s room. He watched them slip beneath the door and slammed his hand to the keypad without even thinking before rushing inside.

 

Hanzo barely had time to react to Jesse’s sudden appearance before he was shoved aside. Jesse grabbed the two weasels burrowing underneath their covers with his left hand, holding on tight as he could.

 

“Gotcha! Fuckin’ rascals. An’ y’can’t shock me this time, this hand is insulated.” He grinned, delighting in the small hiss he received from the spirits in return. Jesse turned to leave with his quarry in tow but was stopped in place by Hanzo, who stood in the center of the room with arms crossed and an eyebrow quirked.

 

“Care to fill me in, Jesse?”

 

“Made a lil’ snack for you. Damn dragons tried to steal it.” Jesse huffed and wrinkled his nose. Hanzo looked between him and the dragons for a moment before doubling over and bursting into laughter, low chuckles filling the room like music. While it was a beautiful sound, and Jesse could feel his heart beat faster just hearing it, it wasn’t exactly the reaction he was expecting.

 

“I appreciate the sentiment, but there was no need.” Hanzo took a step forward and brought a hand to Jesse’s hair. “You look like you’ve just gotten into a fight with an angry bag of flour and lost.”

 

Jesse felt his lips turn down. “Ain’t easy to keep clean in that damned kitchen y’know. It’s small and there ain’t much to work with.”

 

Hanzo laughed again, and Jesse heard the dragons chuckle with him. He squeezed them a little tighter.

 

“I am aware. Still it is...cute. _You_ are cute.” Hanzo tucked a stray lock behind Jesse’s ear. “Now, let’s go enjoy the food you’ve made. All four of us.”

 

Jesse groaned as the dragons squeaked in glee. For someone who was extremely disciplined himself, Hanzo certainly spoiled his spirits. Though they were ancient, fearsome beings, they acted like brats sometimes.

 

Still, when Jesse looked at the smile on Hanzo’s face as Ame and Raikou playfully wrestled across the table, he couldn’t help but grin.

\---

The couch was lumpy. Back in Overwatch’s heyday Jesse might have staged a complaint, something about how an international organization should at least have the funding for better couches, but as things stood with the recall there wasn’t much he could say. Well, there were many things he _could_ say, but then again he didn’t exactly want to explain to Winston that he was sleeping on the couch to avoid his boyfriend.

 

Jesse sighed and burrowed down further under his serape. The argument was stupid, they both knew that. With their line of work there was always going to be injuries and close calls, split-second decisions and regrets. There would be blood and tears no matter how careful they played it. That didn’t stop emotions from running high, though, and the tense silence after a battle easily gave way to fretting and yelling behind closed doors.

 

He could still hear Hanzo’s voice in his mind, gruff yet clear as day. Whispered warnings, _fool,_ the panicked undertone he only carried when he really cared, when he was actually afraid. Hanzo Shimada, afraid. Jesse cracked a somber grin; wasn’t every day you could lay claim to a man like Hanzo’s heart the way Jesse could.  

 

God, he missed him.

 

Jesse would give anything to sleep this off. To just conk out and deal with it in the morning, but no, his traitor heart had to keep him awake. He rolled over and chanced a glance at the kitchen clock: 3:13AM. Hanzo was probably asleep by now. He sighed again.

 

Or maybe he was asleep, and dreaming. It would certainly make more sense than the sound of soft footsteps waddling down the hall. Wouldn’t be Gabe, his feet didn’t make sound anymore. Doubted it was Jack either. They sounded small, light. Jesse perked up and peered over the couch, his hypocrite heart daring to beat just a little faster at the implications.

 

But no one was there. At least, no person--as Jesse brought his gaze down he noticed the small frame of Raikou staring up at him, form flickering like a candle in the wind. They seemed humbled somehow, head hung slightly and movements slowed.

 

Jesse found himself moving without thinking, stepping forward until Raikou was scooped up in his arms like an infant. “Hey there, fella. Can’t find Han?”

 

Raikou’s tongue slithered out briefly, but the spirit made no other indication they had heard him. Jesse resisted the urge to heave another sigh--just his luck that they’d be cryptic as ever. Just as he was about to set the spirit back down, he heard another pair of footsteps echoed down the hallway. Hanzo rounded the corner, dark bags under his eyes and hair a fluffy bed-headed mess.

 

Jesse turned to leave and Raikou lashed out, sharp teeth digging into his wrist. He dropped the spirit with a shout. What _was_ it with them and hurting his hands? He had little time to wonder as Raikou scurried forward and climbed Hanzo’s leg, nuzzling affectionately into his thigh. Jesse swallowed.

 

“Uh. Hey,” he managed lamely, a hand coming up to scratch at the back of his neck. Damn Raikou, damn those dragons, damn _himself_ for arguing with Hanzo in the first place.

 

“Hi.” Hanzo’s response was equally lame, though more curt. Jesse saw Ame peeking over his shoulder, tiny claws digging into the meat of Hanzo’s neck. It looked like it hurt.

 

The silence dragged on for what felt like a lifetime.

 

“Listen, Han, about yesterday--”

 

“I want to apologize--”

 

They both stopped at once, the slightest of grins gracing their faces. The silence broke entirely after that, splintered into pieces at Hanzo’s low chuckles and Jesse’s loud laugh. They looked at each other again, and Jesse saw the speck of amusement twinkling in Hanzo’s eyes.

 

“Take a seat, sweetpea. I’ll go brew us some tea and we can talk it out.” Jesse gestured to the couch with a flamboyant sweep of his arms, extra just for the sake of it.

 

Hanzo’s smile melted Jesse’s heart like butter. “I would like that.”

\---

It was a common occurrence by this point for Jesse to think he was going to die. Whether he was face to face with a pulse rifle in some middle of nowhere warehouse in Bosnia or sliding out of an avalanche in Chile by the skin of his teeth, Jesse McCree had faced death plenty of times and carried on nonetheless.

 

However, never in his life had he felt more fear than he did right now, staring down the balcony door like it might chew him up and spit him out. His body was heavy, stomach tied into uncertain knots and feet like cinder blocks tethering him to the ground. Jesse took a deep breath. He couldn’t put this off forever.

 

Well, he could, but he’d hate himself if he did.

 

The door slid open with barely a sound and Jesse stepped outside, treated to one of the most beautiful views he’d seen in his life. Hana and Genji had been instrumental in setting this up, getting the table just right, finding the perfect scented candles and just the right timing for a romantic dinner looking out over the watchpoint. The sea crashed against the rocks below and threw salt spray into the air, wind blowing it over to Hanzo, who fiddled with his tie. He was always handsome, but Jesse especially loved seeing him like this--hair down, dressed to the nines like the heir he was always meant to be. Lit only by the moon and candlelight, eyes glimmering. Gorgeous. Stunning. Breath-taking.

 

“Jesse? Is everything alright?” Hanzo spoke up, head tilting ever so slightly. Always so concerned for him. So sweet.

 

Jesse smiled. “Yeah, sugar. Everythin’s fine. Perfect, even.” He made his way over and sat down opposite Hanzo, leaning on the table with his left elbow. “I hope you’re enjoyin’ the view, ‘cause I certainly am.”

 

Hanzo laughed, the soft sound slipping into the wind like it belonged there. Jesse felt his heart thump in his throat and reached to his breast pocket, but stopped himself. No, not yet. Not quite yet.

 

Unfortunately, the decision wasn’t to be made by him. Captivated as he was by his boyfriend, Jesse didn’t notice Ame and Raikou’s appearance until it was too late. They crawled up his arms, burrowing deep into his sport coat before they found their prize and tugged it out, dissipating with a snicker.

 

The velvet box dropped to the table with a thump, and Jesse felt his heart drop with it.  

 

Hanzo leaned over curiously. “What is that?”

 

Jesse couldn’t speak. He grabbed the box, _late, too late, far too late,_ and stuffed it back in his pocket, swallowing thickly. “Nothin’.”

 

“Obviously not.” Hanzo raised an eyebrow. “Jesse, you know me. You can tell me anything. Come now.”

 

“So much for timing,” Jesse grumbled. He stood and made his way around the table then got to his knees and drew the box back out of his pocket. “Figured I’d make it a lil’ more romantic, tried for the dinner n’ all, but Ame and Raikou ain’t ever been patient fellas have they? Nah, not since I met ‘em. Since I met you.”

 

“Jesse…”

 

“Let me finish, now. You’ve changed me Han, for better or worse I can’t tell. What I can tell, though, is that I wouldn’t give you up for nothin’. Pesky dragons, stubborn attitude n’ all, I love you. Through and through. And I wanna keep lovin’ you ‘til we’re old n’ gray, and then after that when we’re rottin’ in our graves. Hanzo Shimada.” Jesse felt his voice waver, a bit of mist gathering in his eyes. He opened the box, exposing a single gold band. “Would you marry me?”

 

Hanzo practically collapsed into him, sliding out of the chair and into Jesse’s arms with a sobbed _yes._ He peppered kisses along Jesse’s cheeks, kissing away happy tears, smile so wide it almost split his face in two. Jesse slipped the band onto Hanzo’s finger with a grin and laced their hands together.

 

Candlelight was everywhere, glinting off of the ring, their tears, the whites of their teeth. Jesse always associated Hanzo with the moon, silver and dashing, cunning and sly. But right now? Right now he was the sun, shining with a beauty he’d get to see for the rest of their lives.

 

Maybe Ame and Raikou knew what they were doing after all.

\---

It was a successful day. The wedding went off with the expected number of hitches. Genji cried, everyone danced, smooches were plentiful. Their wedding cake was disgusting, some burned monstrosity Torbjorn had insisted on making, but it was perfect.

 

As Jesse and Hanzo settled in for the night, sweet pecks turning to lingering kisses, gentle touches turning slightly more heated, more wanting, Jesse suddenly stopped. Hanzo was amazing, perfect as always. But there was another thing, the one part that wasn’t allowed in this moment. For once, Jesse would be strict on it. Just for their wedding night, it needed to be perfect.

 

“Darlin’,” he muttered, laying a kiss on the column of Hanzo’s neck, “Call out Raikou and Ame for me, would you?”

 

Hanzo raised his eyebrows and looked at Jesse as if he’d lost his mind. Jesse responded with a warm grin and he relented, the tiny spirits blooming out of his tattoo. Jesse wasted no time in grabbing them both in his left hand and stalking over to the door before setting them down outside.

 

“Stay out. Do this one damn thing for me, jus’ for tonight. You’ll get your master back in the mornin’, promise.” Jesse leaned down, pointing a finger at them. They looked to each other, then back at Jesse, then into the room. Without hesitation, they nodded their assent.

 

Jesse breathed in relief and thanked them with a pat on the head. Hanzo was waiting for him on the bed, propped up on his elbow and smirking at him.

 

“You just had to make sure, hmm?”

 

“Darlin’, you know you mean the world to me. Ancient spirits be damned, the whole universe can take a back seat for just one night.”

 

Hanzo laughed. “And they say romance is dead.”

 

This time Jesse was the one to shut him up with a kiss, caging the smaller man between his thighs as he shifted over him. They had their night, just the two of them, happy as they’d ever been.

 

And in the morning, curled into a pile outside, three sleeping dragons awaited them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! As mentioned previously, this fic was a birthday present for the light of my life, sun to my moon, my amazing friend [Lucy](http://archiveofourown.org/users/acrxphxbia). Go read her stuff, go give her some love, she deserves naught but good things. 
> 
> Another big thank you to my beta [Mango](http://archiveofourown.org/users/malevolentmango)! Another insanely talented individual, and one who puts up with all my bullshit mistakes on the reg. Just the best <3
> 
> Come find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/tsoleille) or [tumblr](schrodingerslion.tumblr.com)! I love screaming about Overwatch. And if it piques your fancy, I'm also taking ['requests'](http://schrodingerslion.tumblr.com/commissions)!
> 
> Have a good one!


End file.
